


Matriarch

by TheMightyFlynn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Manipulation, Waltzing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 06:27:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9980387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMightyFlynn/pseuds/TheMightyFlynn
Summary: Narcissa Malfoy was born and bred to become the matriarch of a great family. She just happened to believe that hers was the greatest of all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt: "I don't think you have met my wife, Narcissa?" (Lucius Malfoy in HP4 page 101), on the Lucissa community on livejournal.

Colours swirled at such a dizzying pace as Narcissa clung to Lucius’ shoulders that she was forced to close her eyes against the blur. Twirling around the ballroom of Chez Moreau with every single one of their family, friends, acquaintances, and anyone else of importance Lucius had thought to invite watching them, she knew that the swirl of colours would end soon enough. All she had to do was prevent her dinner from making a re-appearance before the music wound down.

“I do recall asking whether you would prefer a slower song to play for our waltz, my dear.”

“If you force me to respond, Lucius, you shall find yourself wearing my lobster.”

“Thank heavens you had the intelligence to request the expensive main, then. If these robes are to be ruined, it should be worth the experience.”

Narcissa gave a helpless laugh before re-opening her eyes. She found Lucius smiling down at her with both amusement and affection clear in his light grey eyes. The wide smile she offered in return was completely involuntary.

“You are absolutely incorrigible.”

“Only for you, Cissa dear.”

Narcissa spent the rest of the waltz trying to prevent herself from smiling. It was unseemly for a properly-raised lady to go around grinning like a complete fool in public; that had been drummed into her head from almost the second she could walk. Lucius had never once objected to her behaviour in public, however, even at the moments she had been unable to prevent herself from slipping. By the time the waltz had finished, Narcissa had regained her usual composure. Her gaze automatically lowered towards the floor when Lucius bowed deeply over her hand, to the applause of the entire room.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, on the occasion of their fiftieth wedding anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy!” The magically-enhanced voice of the conductor of the band intoned the words out over the assembled guests to a second round of applause. “May I ask Mrs. Malfoy to stay on the dancefloor, please?”

Narcissa could see Lucius’ smile turn forced at the words, but she knew he would voice no objection to this second round of dances. At least, not in front of an entire audience of their nearest and dearest. The movement of a shock of red hair out of the corner of Narcissa’s eye caught her attention, telling her that Molly Weasley had also stepped onto the dancefloor. She was followed shortly by both Draco and Harry, their hands clasped loosely. The affectionate look Draco shot his husband before moving off towards Molly had Narcissa smiling again.

“Mr. Potter.”

Narcissa fought back a true grin at Lucius’ attempt at intimidation. Draco and Harry had been happily married now for twenty-five years and had three beautiful children together; there was not a chance that Harry could still be intimidated by Lucius. Not that Narcissa thought that he ever had been to begin with.

“Mr. Malfoy.” Harry tilted his head towards Lucius before turning to face Narcissa. “Mrs. Malfoy.”

Narcissa could clearly read the amusement in Harry’s tone, but his face was, thankfully, passive. She cleared her throat delicately.

“Lucius? Do you think you could see your way to releasing my hand? I believe it is time for me to dance with our son-in-law.”

It wasn’t until he shot Harry a final glare that Lucius deigned to surrender Narcissa to him. His possessiveness had posed problems in their relationship over the years, but this time she just found it amusing. All three of them knew that Harry, of all people, was one of the people in the room at that moment who was disinclined to cause her any harm. Draco would never stand for it, for one thing, and the headlines when a former Head Auror stepped a toe out of line were simply not worth the trouble. This time, the song that the band played was slightly slower, meaning that Narcissa had no need to close her eyes against the whirl of colours.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

Harry’s voice was pitched low, but Narcissa had no troubles hearing him over the music. She smiled up at him.

“I am, thank you.”

“Narcissa?”

The quirk of one dark eyebrow was all it took for her façade to come down. She let out a soft sigh as she relaxed her ridged posture just a fraction.

“Have I ever mentioned just how much I detest waltzing? Lucius insists that it is an absolute necessity whenever we are out in public, however.”

“Oh, so _that’s_ where Draco got the idea!”

Narcissa quirked an eyebrow back at him. “I always assumed you already knew how to dance before the two of you became involved?”

The smile Harry offered her was knowing. “I think we both know the answer to that one.”

Narcissa found herself thanking her lucky stars that Draco had found himself a husband who had actually taken the time to get to know both her and Lucius. It meant so much to her that she and Lucius could be a part of their grandchildren’s lives and she knew that there were many people in the wizarding world Draco could have chosen who would have denied them that. Harry, it seemed, was determined that each of his children’s family members would take an active role in their lives. The fact that said participation included getting to know Harry himself had been a hindrance at first, but Narcissa had come to appreciate him for everything he had done for not only Draco, but for her and Lucius as well. She knew that if it had not been for Harry’s acceptance of them after the end of the war, she, Lucius, and possibly even Draco would be social outcasts even to that day. She shook her head at the melancholy thought; there was no point in thinking of what could have been, not on a night like this.

The rest of her dance with Harry was spent discussing the children and their various ventures now that they were out of Hogwarts. Lily was finishing her Healer’s apprenticeship that year, and Severus was on tour with Puddlemere United and would only be back for Christmas that year. Sirius, their youngest, had just graduated and was currently adrift. It was a situation that Narcissa was not particularly happy with.

“Perhaps he should come spend some time in France with Lucius and I? We were considering going for a short trip after the celebrations here were finished.”

“I wouldn’t want to burden you with a grumpy teenager during your anniversary celebrations.”

“Nonsense; he would be no trouble. Lucius has contacts in many different industries in France who would be pleased to show him the ropes of operating his own business. We were, in fact, considering sending Draco over there before, uh…”

She paused, unsure of how to put _before you and he started shagging like bunnies_ delicately. Thankfully, it seemed that Harry had gotten the gist of what she was implying.

“Before I interrupted your plans?” The affectionate look Harry shot across the dancefloor to where Narcissa had to assume Draco was dancing with Molly matched the intensity of the look Draco had bestowed on him a few minutes earlier. “I’m afraid I can’t feel sorry for that one.”

“No, and I wouldn’t have you so.” She smiled at him again when his head whipped around to face her. “You make my son incredibly happy, Harry. I would never be foolish enough to try to step in between the two of you in any way.”

The light blush that spread across Harry’s cheeks sent amusement washing through her. Draco, it seemed, was correct: Harry was incredibly easy to embarrass. They finished the dance in companionable silence. Narcissa’s smile returned when she spotted Lucius waiting for her at the edge of the floor, his arms crossed across his chest. Harry managed to place them almost directly in front of Lucius when the music wound down again, enabling him to accompany Narcissa over to him in a few seconds.

“It has been a pleasure, Narcissa.”

Lucius grasped Narcissa’s hand the second Harry released it. She, however, refused to follow the tug on her hand he gave.

“The pleasure was all mine, Harry. Think on what I have said. I believe it will be the best course for him.”

With a quick promise that he would discuss the situation with Draco and a few tersely exchanged pleasantries with Lucius, Harry moved off towards Draco, leaving Narcissa alone with Lucius again. This time when he tugged on her hand, she followed with no objections.

“You really should give the boy a chance, Lucius.”

“He is hardly a boy, Narcissa.”

“All the more reason, my dear. There is no point in living your life out in constant competition with your son-in-law for your son’s attention and affection. Draco loves him, Lucius. They have been married for twenty-five years and show no signs of marital discord. It is past time that one of you takes the step of settling your differences.” The sigh Lucius let out had Narcissa shaking her head. “It would mean a lot to me, Lucius.”

Standing there at the edge of the dancefloor surrounded by a roomful of people was definitely not the place to be having this discussion, Narcissa knew. However, she also knew that appealing to Lucius’ emotions would speed the matter along. This time, the sigh that Lucius gave in response had her smiling.

“Fine. If it will satisfy you, I shall make the attempt to be… cordial to Potter from this moment on.”

Narcissa figured it would have to do. Stepping close to Lucius’ side, she moved with him through the crowd of people, greeting those who met her eyes. It had surprised her when Lucius had handed her a handwritten list of the people who _absolutely had_ to be invited to their anniversary celebrations, mostly because she knew just how much Lucius detested many of them. But then, she had reasoned, Lucius was nothing if not a diplomat. If he had shown his real opinions of the various people he had met over the years, he would have gotten nowhere in life; that was the plain and simple truth. Narcissa refocussed when Lucius came to a halt in front of a group of men and women who looked unfamiliar to her.

“Ambassador St. Clair.”

A petit, incredibly neat-looking young woman turned at Lucius’ address. Wearing the most fashionable cut of robes in a deep red – the ‘in’ colour that year, Narcissa had been assured when being measured for her own robes at the start of the season – made the woman appear much younger than she probably was. Wearing her dark brown curls cascading around her shoulders and having her deep blue eyes magnified by a pair of thick glasses didn’t help with that image. Narcissa smiled politely when the woman glanced in her direction.

"I don't think you have met my wife, Narcissa?" Lucius stepped aside so Narcissa could extend her hand to the young woman. “Narcissa, this is Olive St. Clair, the new French Ambassador. She was appointed just last week.”

That little titbit of information caused all of Narcissa’s Black-family-bred hostess instincts to rise to the surface. She smiled, she laughed; she subtly implied that Lucius could be of use to Miss St. Clair if she ever needed advice from an English-bred wizard. It wasn’t until she was preparing to make a graceful exit from the conversation that she even mentioned young Sirius and his predicament.

“It sounds like you have an incredibly busy social life, Mrs. Malfoy.”

St. Clair tittered behind her hand as though she had said something incredibly intelligent. Narcissa smiled politely in response before waving her hand delicately through the air.

“Oh, this is nothing compared to what it was like when I was young. There were parties and functions that absolutely had to be attended – or hosted – almost every weekend. Unfortunately, life appears to have caught up with me these past few years, I’m afraid. I would advise you to use your youth wisely while you have it.”

“My youth?” St. Clair tittered again, this time openly. “I am sure you cannot be _that_ old.”

Narcissa affected a dramatic sigh. “I am, unfortunately, old enough that my youngest grandson has just graduated Hogwarts.”

“No, surely not!” St. Clair stepped closer, almost as though they were imparting secrets. “Your son must have started quite young, in that case.”

Lowering her gaze, Narcissa pretended embarrassment at the compliment. “I am afraid so. Sirius graduated Hogwarts a few months ago.”

“My, my. And what is he doing now, may I ask?”

“He has yet to discover a passion for anything, regrettably.”

“Is that so? Has he applied for an apprenticeship within your Ministry?”

“Not that I am aware of.” Narcissa glanced up, her eyes wide. “Do you believe a young man would have a chance at attaining such an apprenticeship?”

“He certainly would with the French Ministry, especially when he comes from such a prestigious family,” St. Clair declared with a passion that Narcissa had noted was lacking from the rest of her conversation. “How about this? I shall give you the name and address of who he should speak to in the French Ministry, if he is interested and cannot find work with your own Ministry. I am sure the French embassy would be proud to have a Malfoy-Potter son working within our ranks.”

Narcissa thanked her profusely, carefully keeping her excitement tamped down. It was unlikely that Sirius would enjoy the idea of gaining employment based off his surname alone, but Narcissa knew that it was an incredible opportunity, if he wished for it. And it was a start, if nothing else.

She spent the rest of the night making small talk with various powerful people, but her eyes continued to be drawn back to wherever Lucius happened to be at that point in time. Standing straight and tall, he was an imposing figure even at seventy-three years of age. The fact that his hair was now white instead of blond made no difference whatsoever to the intimidation he was capable of making other men feel, apparently, as she watched a man dressed in stiff formal robes sigh in relief when Lucius let out a polite laugh at whatever he had said.

Marrying someone like Lucius had been one of the goals Narcissa had set herself when she was a child. She had known what was expected from her at a young age and had been determined to fulfil those expectations. Lucius had been the perfect candidate for her from the very beginning. He was from a good family, he had never been involved in any kind of scandal, and his many contacts made Narcissa’s life so much easier. The fact that he was incredibly desirable physically didn’t hurt his chances, either. When she had added all of his positive points in with the fact that he was easy for her to manipulate, she had had no other choice: she had had to have him as her husband. Narcissa deferred to her husband in public, of course; it was only seemly. When they were alone, however, she ran everything. From deciding who to hire and fire around the Manor grounds, to their finances, to liaising with their lawyers, Narcissa Malfoy ran the roost, so to speak. It was a way of life that suited them both incredibly well.

“Cissa, darling.”

The whispered words caused Narcissa to jump and let out a small squeak of alarm. Spinning around, she swatted Lucius on the arm, producing a deep chuckle from him that had her stomach flipping.

“Must you constantly take pleasure in sneaking around like that?”

“‘Sneaking’? We are in the middle of a crowded ballroom.” Lucius smiled wide when Narcissa arched an eyebrow at him. “Perhaps your hearing is faulty, my dear, if you cannot hear my approach.”

Before Narcissa had the chance to react, Lucius wrapped an arm firmly around her waist and guided her back onto the dancefloor. The song playing was, thankfully, not a waltz.

“What exactly makes you think that I wish to dance with you?” Narcissa placed one hand on Lucius’ shoulder and waited patiently for him to take the other and begin to guide her around the floor. “You have already had your waltz.”

Lucius’ hand being placed firmly on her waist and dragging her a little closer to him than etiquette required sent a thrill straight through her. She couldn’t help the smile she gave in return.

“I am feeling particularly greedy tonight, it seems.” His grip on her tightened slowly as they moved around the floor, pulling her even closer. “And you look exceptionally beautiful under these lights.”

She could feel her cheeks staining pink. “Charmer.”

“I have always been a fool for you, Narcissa; you know that.”

Smiling up into her husband’s eyes, Narcissa could feel the rest of the world melting away until it was just the two of them. The heat in Lucius’ gaze was enough to cause her heart to skip what seemed to be several beats in a row, causing her grip on his shoulder to tighten as she attempted to keep her balance.

“Lucius…”

“Thank you, Cissa. You and Draco have kept me both sane and stable over the years; a feat not easily accomplished, I am assured.”

“Oh, Lucius…” She closed the small gap between them in the next step of the dance, uncaring now about propriety. Resting her head on Lucius’ shoulder caused him to slow down to almost a complete stop. “You have always made it so easy for me to love you. The past fifty years together have been the most wonderful of my life, despite our ups and downs.”

The light touch of his fingers beneath her chin tilted her head upwards so she had no choice but to meet his eyes. Narcissa couldn’t help smiling again as she read a strong love in his expression.

“Here’s to fifty more.”

Even the sounds around them seemed to fade out as their lips connected. Narcissa smiled into the kiss as her hands curled, holding tight to her husband; her anchor. She may have chosen Lucius Malfoy based off a flawed set of rules that had dictated her early years, but the fact that they had made it this far and still held as much love for each other as they ever had spoke volumes for her. Lucius had been – and always would be – the best choice she could have made.


End file.
